Louisiana Rehabilitation Council

P.O. Box 91297
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-9297

225-219-2947

General Meeting Minutes

January 28 and 29, 2016

Embassy Suites Hotel, 4914 Constitution Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Page 5 of 7

Thursday, January 28, 2016
Members Present / Natasha Aymami, Tommy Carnline, Warren Chauvin, Lanor Curole
Rebecca Hanberry, Jean Hanson (non-voting), Ronald Key, Cathy Lazarus, Robert “Bob” Lobos, Nan Magness, Mark Martin (non-voting), Patrick Mascarella, Libby Murphy, Laura Nata, Jonathan Trunnell, and Derek White.
Members Absent / Pam Allen, Cassidy Byles, Lanor Curole, Sue Killam, Cliff Owens, and Nicole Walker.
Liaison / Paige Kelly
Guests Present / Lynn Blanchard, Rebecca Ellis, Cindy Robillard, David Gallegos, Jimmy Gore, Susan Reed, Bernice Thomson, Jason Isch, Vincenzo Pasquantonio, Bambi Polotzola, Jessica Lewis, Houston Moss, Cindy Rodler, and Rosemary Yesso
Call to Order / The general meeting was called to order at 8:43 a.m. with a quorum established.
Minutes / Motion Passed to approve October 29 & 30, 2015, General Meeting Minutes was made by Ron Key, seconded by Cathy Lazarus, and approved, with the correction of Trunnell’s first name, without abstention or objection.
Liaison Report / Paige Kelly discussed the LRC’s budget: $32,500, total; $10,124 fiscal year-to-date expenditures (two meetings). Kelly requested authority to move money between line items. Kelly reported that the LRC has a total of 20 voting members and 2 nonvoting members out of the 25 possible, leaving three vacancies, two in business and one in “members with a disability or representing an individual with a disability.”
Executive Committee Recommen-dations (EC) / Chair Murphy stated the executive committee approved several recommendations for the full Council’s consideration.
1.  Motion Passed. For the Chair to draft and send a letter asking the Executive Director of Louisiana Workforce Commission to urge the governor to reauthorize the Louisiana Rehabilitation Council with all do haste and adding an additional appointed member to represent the area of rehabilitation technologies
Ø  Passed without objection or abstention.
2.  Motion Passed. For the Liaison to be authorized to make line item adjustments in the 2016 LRC budget as necessary to fulfill the needed categories of expenses.
Ø  Passed without objection or abstention.
3.  Motion Passed. Pursuant to the bylaws and in light of repeated unsuccessful attempts by the Chair and the Liaison to reach Cassidy Byles to discuss her poor attendance record, the Chair will contact boards and commission to recommend that she be removed from the LRC.
Ø  Passed without objection or abstention.
LRS Director’s Report / Director’s Report provided by Mark Martin is included as an addendum.
Motion Passed. The LRC requests the Director to renew his request within the department that LRC be given the opportunity to provide input regarding development of the WIOA Combined State Plan prior to the public comment period and that the Chair will draft and send to the Executive Director of the LWC, with copy to the Commissioner of Administration and the Governor, the LRC’s disappointment that the LRC and other advocates were not consulted on the development of the WIOA Combined State Plan. Motion by Derek White, seconded by Jonathan Trunnell.
Ø  Passed without objection or abstention.
Member Reports / Member reports provided are included as addenda.
Consumer Presentation / Ashley Volion, Consumer; and Vincenzo Pasquantonio, Benefits Planner, Advocacy Center
LRS Statistics Presentation / Chris Anthony, Bureau Administrator
The LRC recessed to Committees at 3:00 p.m.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Members Present / Natasha Aymami, Tommy Carnline, Warren Chauvin,
Lanor Curole, Rebecca Hanberry, Jean Hanson (non-voting), Ronald Key, Bob Lobos, Nan Magness, Mark Martin (non-voting), Patrick Mascarella, Libby Murphy, Laura Nata, Jonathan Trunnell, and Derek White
Members Absent / Pam Allen, Cassidy Byles, Sue Killam, Cathy Lazarus, Cliff Owens, Sara Spencer, Nicole Walker
Liaison / Paige Kelly
Guests Present / Rosemary Yesso, Mark Thomas, Rosemary Morales, and Tiffany Dickerson
Call to Order / The general meeting was called to order at 8:32 a.m., with a quorum established.
Due Process Presentation / Chris Anthony, Bureau Administrator at LRS presented on Due Process – Applicant/Consumer Appeal Rights.
Public Policy Agenda / Libby Murphy, Chair, discussed sharing information regarding the VR program and impact of budget cuts with legislators.
HCBS Settings Rule / Mark Thomas, Assistant Secretary, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Department of Health and Hospitals, presented on the HCBS Settings Rule as it Relates to Employment
Motion Passed: The Chair will send a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, Dr. Rebekah Gee, supporting OCDD’s transition plan to implementing the HCBS rule for nonresidential settings made by Derek White and seconded by Jonathan Trunnell.
Ø  Approved without objection or abstention.
Standing Committee Reports / Eligibility and Planning, Nan Magness, Chair
Magness shared materials related to the committee’s long-standing conversation in regard to guidance and information for rehabilitation counselors related to substance abuse.
Motion Passed. The Committee recommended the whole body request LRS review assessments and protocols presented for inclusion in a Counselor toolbox.
Ø  Approved without objection or abstention.
Employment Committee, Nicole Walker, Chair
Derek White chaired the meeting and presented two motions and an area for future discussion in committee to develop more refined recommendations. The committee would like to look for trends over time in the data that is requested. Perhaps, for certain data, in the form of graphs so the reviewer can easily see what those trends look like. Also, include brief textual summaries. We felt like with the recommendation that came from the committee in July of last year regarding the report card included performance statistics that we could revisit.
Motion Passed. Committee recommended the LRC request a presentation to the employment committee on the procedures for monitoring of supported employment vendors and procedure for holding them in compliance with the rules.
Ø  Approved without objection or abstention.
Motion Passed. Committee recommended the LRC request the Director ensure that information about individuals who are ready for employment is shared with the business liaison in a timely fashion.
Ø  Approved without objection or abstention
Transition Committee, Pam Allen, Chair
Laura Nata chaired the meeting and Jonathan Trunnell presented areas for future discussion in committee to develop more refined recommendations. These items include:
1.  Pre-employment transition services:
·  Data analyzed by service instead of just all PETS aggregated.
·  Analyzing which vendors are operating in which regions and which schools and their curricula.
·  The number of students 16 to 21 receiving special education services.
2.  The committee also recognizes the need for identified benchmarks for progress and to be involved in the process of developing those benchmarks for service provision.
3.  Outreach materials and a plan for outreach to Families Helping Families to help guide parents through this process.
4.  Presentation on the eligibility criteria for PETS and requirements under WIOA.
Future meetings / April 28 and 29, 2016
July 28 and 29, 2016
October 27 and 28, 2016.
Members agreed on: January 26th and 27th, 2017, to add to the schedule of future meetings.
New Business / No new business was introduced.
Adjourn / Jonathan Trunnell motioned to adjourn, seconded by Rebecca Hanberry and the Council adjourned at 12:30 p.m., without objection.
APPENDIX A
Summary of Decisions Made
1. / The Chair to draft and send a letter asking the Executive Director of Louisiana Workforce Commission to urge the governor to reauthorize the Louisiana Rehabilitation Council with all do haste and adding an additional appointed member to represent the area of rehabilitation technologies.
2. / The Liaison to be authorized to make line item adjustments in the 2016 LRC budget as necessary to fulfill the needed categories of expenses.
3. / Pursuant to the bylaws and in light of repeated unsuccessful attempts by the Chair and the Liaison to reach Cassidy Byles to discuss her poor attendance record, the Chair will contact boards and commission to recommend that she be removed from the LRC.
4. / The LRC to request the Director to renew his request within the department that LRC be given the opportunity to provide input regarding development of the WIOA Combined State Plan prior to the public comment period and that the Chair will draft and send to the Executive Director of the LWC, with copy to the Commissioner of Administration and the Governor, the LRC’s disappointment that the LRC and other advocates were not consulted on the development of the WIOA Combined State Plan.
5. / The Chair will send a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, Dr. Rebekah Gee, supporting OCDD’s transition plan to implementing the HCBS rule for nonresidential settings.
6. / The LRC will request LRS review assessments and protocols presented for inclusion in a Counselor toolbox.
7. / The LRC will request a presentation to the employment committee on the procedures for monitoring of supported employment vendors and procedure for holding them in compliance with the rules.
8. / The LRC will request the Director ensure that information about individuals who are ready for employment is shared with the business liaison in a timely fashion.
APPENDIX B
Glossary of Abbreviations
AIVRP / American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Program
CAP / Client Assistance Program
CSAVR
DHH / Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
Department of Health and Hospitals
EC
HCBS / Executive Committee of the Louisiana Rehabilitation Council
Home and Community-Based Services
IDEA / Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
LAPTIC / Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center
LRC / Louisiana Rehabilitation Council
LRS / Louisiana Rehabilitation Services
LWC / Louisiana Workforce Commission
NCSRC
OCDD
PETS / National Coalition of State Rehabilitation Councils
Office of Citizens with Disabilities
Pre-Employment Transition Services
RSA / Rehabilitation Services Administration
TACE / Technical Assistance and Continuing Education
VR
WBLE / Vocational Rehabilitation
Work-Based Learning Experience
WIC / Workforce Investment Council
WIOA / Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014